Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: Cardiology Department
Dr. John Cena sat at the desk in his cramped office going over the paperwork from the last 36 hours he had spent at the hospital where he worked. He should have been eating or trying to get some sleep so he could finish up the remaining twelve hours left of his shift
"Paging Dr. Cena." The overhead intercom crackled. "Paging Dr. Cena. You have a call on line six. Dr. Cena you have a call on line six." John sighed and picked up the handset then pressed the blinking light. "Dr. Cena speaking. How can I help you?"
"Hi honey it's me!" John's longtime girlfriend chirped in his ear
"Hello sweetheart. How are you?"
"Good but missing you."
"You know that I had to work a straight 48-hour shift."
"I know but still."
"Why didn't you call my phone?"
"You never answer when I do." That was true. John loved the woman but he hardly had time for chit-chat. She knew that calling the hospital was a sure way to get John to talk with her. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in and tell you that I miss you," John knew that wasn't all. "And I also wanted to know if you'd like to go to a dinner party at Brie and Bryan's tomorrow night with me."
"Going to a dinner party after working a quadruple does not sound appealing to me. I need sleep."
"Sleep? I know you're going to work out when you get home."
"Well I like working out."
"But not going out with me?"
"I like going out with you just not to dinner party's with your friends."
"They're our friends John."
"No. They're yours. My friends don't do dinner parties." There was a knock at the office door and one of the head nurses poked his head in
"Sorry John but that new doctor is here." Cody said
"Baby I have to go."
"So that's a no to the party? You're going to let me go by myself?"
"That's definitely a no and you don't have to go at all. I love you and I'll see you later." The woman sighed
"I love you too. Bye." John placed the phone back on the receiver
"What?" He asked looking at the other man
"Woman got you down?"
"Shut up." John said with a laugh. "Where is this guy?"
"Up front at the nurses' station. He's a tall and delicious drink of water too."
"Now, now – what would Evan think if he heard you talking like that?" John asked referring to his anesthesiologist and Cody's boyfriend of over four years
"He'll just do what he always does and shake his head at my flirty antics." John shook his own head
"That him?" He asked
"Yes."
"Damn he's tall. What's his name?"
"Randy."
"Randy?" John said walking up to the man with his hand out. "John." Randy took the hand and shook it firmly
"That's me."
"I'm glad you're here."
"Me too...I'm sorry about having to do the interview over the phone. Some things were held up at the hospital where I worked in St. Louis so I couldn't leave," John shook his head
"Don't worry about it. I did my research and I'm more than satisfied with your credentials and the super positive recommendations and reviews I got. I've seen you in the medical journals a few times too so having you on our staff will be a great asset. I look forward to working alongside you." Randy nodded his head
"I should impress you but I'm the one that's impressed."
"Oh?"
"I interviewed for a hospital before I ended up with Mercy that didn't contact any of my references or have a subscription to any journals which seems like a minute thing but in my opinion it's good to have so you stay in the know."
"And I agree but I have done my homework on you and like I said I do look forward to working alongside you."
"Thank you."
"Well let me show you around while it's still quiet and while I'm still awake." John looked at Cody after he loudly cleared his throat. "Randy this is Cody. He's one of the head nurses here."
"Hi." Cody said with a smile. "I'm like John's third arm."
"Oh," Randy said with a laugh while John shook his head. "Okay then. It's nice to meet you Cody the Third Arm."
"You are not my third arm Cody."
"Fourth and fifth then?" John and Randy laughed
"Forgive him...he really is excellent at his job."
"No need to forgive. In our line of work playful banter is always welcome in my opinion as long as when it's time to work the work gets done."
"Oh well then welcome to the team!" Cody said with a smile. "It was nice meeting you Randy. I have to go. I'll see you around." Randy gave a short wave
"The layout around here is pretty simple and since you work in the cardiac unit there really isn't too much to learn. You already know where the nurses' station is," John pointed out. "The break room or where you'll find a person or two napping is this way and all the way at the end of the hall is my office." John said gesturing. "Am I moving too fast for you?"
"No. Nurses' station, break room, your office," Randy said pointing
"Great. This is the supply room and we do EKGs, Echoes and those types of exams in here."
"Stress tests?"
"What?"
"Where do you do the stress tests...in case I need to send someone?"
"They are next door. See there's the treadmill and exercise bike."
"Okay." The shorter man pressed the down button on the elevator. The men stepped on and rode down to the main floor in silence
"Down here is the most important part of the tour."
"The cafeteria?"
"Yes." John said with a smile. "Most of the time we have food upstairs but if no one orders then you have to come down here. Cody knows what I like and we work most of our shifts together so he just orders. His mind is like a sponge so I'm sure after a while he'll get to know what you like and order it."
"That's good to know."
"Evan, the anesthesiologist, keeps us supplied with coffee and donuts."
"You guys do actual work right? Seems like there's a lot of eating going on around here."
"Yes we do actual work. It sounds like you don't want your coffee and donut so I'll take it. Thank you in advance." Randy laughed
"No I will drink the coffee and have my donut so keep your hands off. Besides you don't look like you're much of a fried dough eater anyway."
"I work hard so it appears like I don't eat glazed and chocolate covered fried dough. I eat at least two when they're here."
"I never would have guessed. Hey can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"I know I'm new and I hope this doesn't come off as nosy or offensive,"
"But," John interrupted
"But is Cody gay by any chance?"
"Everyone is gay around here with the exception of me." He said pushing the button in the elevator that would take them back to the cardiac unit
"So you're straight?"
"Yes. It's one of the few things my girlfriend likes about me."
"She only likes a few things about you?" John shook his head
"Don't mind me. You're scheduled for tomorrow but I'm off for the next 48 so I won't see you until I come back but I know you'll be fine without," Both men looked down at John's pager as it started to vibrate and beep. He unclipped the device from his waist. "We have an emergency. Are you ready?"
"I was born ready."
"Then let's go." Randy and John stepped back in the elevator
"Hold it!" The tall man pressed the Door Open button just in time for Cody to join them. "I got the alert."
"What's going on?" Randy asked. Cody and John briefed him as best they could about the situation with what information they had. The men made it down to the unit where they were met by one of the resident doctors and a hysterical wife
"What happened?"
"Patient came in for routine work, complained of chest pains, dizziness and heart palpitations so I said I would send him to your unit after his exam then he dropped on me."
"He dropped on you? Well is he dead? Do you want me to revive a dead man? I'm good but not that good." Randy smirked
"He's not dead but he's not doing well. You're the expert so fix it."
"Shit." John and Cody said at the same time
"Oh is that what we do? I'll get the hang of it." Randy said commenting on them speaking in unison
"I'm going to get this guy hooked up so we can get him upstairs." Cody said looking over a chart that was handed to him
"What do you think it is?"
"Could be anything but those symptoms sound," John stopped. "What does it sound like to you?"
"Off the top of my head? A tumor,"
"But where?" They both said
"See you've got the unison thing down already. What do you think the best course of action would be?"
"Left and right ventricular angiography." John smiled
"So do you want to tell that hysterical woman that he needs to stay overnight or should I?"
"You're the veteran around here so have at it. I'll just watch to see how you work."
"Oh thanks." John said dryly
A Few Days Later
"Good morning." Randy said handing John a cup of coffee
"Oh Starbucks. I hope its blonde roast."
"It is. I figured you could stick it in the microwave for an hour or so if you wanted the regular burnt taste." John laughed
"No thanks and thank you."
"You're welcome."
"So how did you do yesterday?"
"I didn't kill anyone so I'd say I did well."
"Always a good day for a doctor when you don't kill anyone."
"How was your day off?"
"Day off?"
"Yes day. You had two but insisted on coming in to babysit me."
"I wasn't babysitting as you're not a baby but I didn't want to leave you hanging with that double angio. What were the results by the way?"
"Myxoma tumor."
"Nice...you called it."
"I may or may not know a thing or two." Randy said with a smile
"Quick question,"
"Shoot."
"Do you buy your scrubs at a big and tall shop?"
"That is not the question I thought you'd ask," The taller man said laughing. "I just go to a regular scrub place and purchase the long." John nodded. "Weirdo."
"John? Are you there?" John pushed the button on the phone to respond to Cody
"I'm here. Why are you using this when I know you're at the station?"
"I was talking to Evan and got a glimpse of the clock and thought I should check to see if you were here...and if I'm wasting time."
"I'm here and I'm talking to Randy." Evan looked at his boyfriend when he heard Randy's name
"Don't you dare go back to that office." He said and Cody smiled sweetly
"Are we having a meeting?"
"No. We're just talking."
"Okay."
"We'll be out in a minute."
"Okay. Good morning Randy."
"Good morning Cody."
"What? He's got long legs and I like long legs." Cody said looking at his boyfriend who looked incredibly annoyed
"That's a real messed up thing to say considering I'm short."
"You're not short; we're all just tall around here." He responded kissing Evan's left cheek then his right and back to his left
"Cody quit it." The small man said with a laugh
"That is the exact opposite of what you said last night."
"You're such a hornball." Evan said as Cody nipped at his neck
"Cut it out Rhodes." John said walking up. "I know Evan's cute but this is where you work."
"He's so irresistible though."
"Try."
"I have an operating room to prep so I'm leaving." Evan said
"Love ya baby cakes."
"Love you too." He answered walking away
"Is this for real?" Randy asked looking at a posting behind the desk. "You guys have a Christmas party?"
"It's a holiday party. We can't say Christmas."
"But it's for real?"
"Yes."
"Do you guys go?"
"Evan and I do."
"Honestly I'd rather not but my girlfriend hassles me about it so we go."
"That's because she wants you to show her off John."
"I know what she wants."
"And she wants to be your misses."
"Well I don't want to get married and I've told her that on more than one occasion so," John shrugged
"How long have the two of you been together?"
"Two years."
"Will you ever ask her to move in?"
"Hadn't thought about it." John replied absently as he went over the printed schedule. "Looks like I need to get down to the cath lab."
"You don't want to marry her at all?"
"No. I love her but I know she's piggybacking off me. She honestly needs her own life and there's no way I'd marry someone like that."
"Have you told her?"
"How do you tell your girlfriend to get a life?" The other two men laughed
"I don't know as I've never had a girlfriend."
"Well how would you tell your boyfriend?"
"If I had one? Babe...you need to get a life."
"I may have to try that."